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a God thing
Acts 2:14-41 (JDV)
Acts 2:14 Peter stood up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice, and proclaimed to them: “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let me explain this to you and pay attention to my words.
Acts 2:15 You see, these people are not drunk, as you assume, since it’s only nine in the morning.
Acts 2:16 Instead, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
Acts 2:17 And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Breath on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
Acts 2:18 I will even pour out my Breath on my slaves in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy.
Acts 2:19 I will give marvels in the sky above and signs on the land below: blood and fire and a cloud of smoke.
Acts 2:20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
Acts 2:21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be rescued.
Acts 2:22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man supported with evidence to you by God with miracles, marvels, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know.
Acts 2:23 Although he was given over according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, with lawless hands you took him out – fastening him to a cross.
Acts 2:24 God got him up, removing the birth pangs of death, since he was incapable of being held in its grasp.
Acts 2:25 You see, David says about him: I saw the Lord ever before me; because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Acts 2:26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices. Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope,
Acts 2:27 because you will not leave my throat behind in Hades nor allow your devout one to see decay.
Acts 2:28 You have revealed the paths of life to me; you will fill me with gladness in your presence.
Acts 2:29 “Brothers and sisters, I can confidently speak to you about the patriarch David: He is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
Acts 2:30 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat the product of his loins on his throne.
Acts 2:31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah: He was not left behind in Hades, and his flesh did not experience decay.
Acts 2:32 “God got this Jesus up; we are all testifiers of this.
Acts 2:33 Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Sacred Breath, he has poured out what you both see and hear.
Acts 2:34 You see, it was not David who ascended into the sky, but he himself says: The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand
Acts 2:35 until I make your enemies your footstool.’
Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
Acts 2:37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the missionaries: “Brothers, what should we do?”
Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Seriously change your mind and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your mistakes, and you will receive the gift of the Sacred Breath.
Acts 2:39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call for.”
Acts 2:40 With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be rescued from this corrupt generation!”
Acts 2:41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand throats were added to them.
a God thing
As I said yesterday, the speaking in tongues part of the miracle of Pentecost was the window dressing. It was the mass evangelism that was the major miracle. Peter’s first job as evangelist was to show that this amazing incident was not the result of an alcoholic binge. The people were not intoxicated. It was a God thing.
But how do you know if a religious experience you are having is a God thing, or something else? This passage gives us some clues to look for.
First, the Bible had predicted the event (16-21).
Second, Jesus Christ was the reason for the event (22-36).
Third, personal repentance was a result of the event (37-38).
Finally, church growth was a result of the event (39-41).
Lord, give us the discernment to recognize when you are doing something, and the courage to make ourselves part of what you are doing.
Devotions 